He cleared 70 percent of the vote and carried every county handily. A precinct-by-precinct analysis of the vote in Mobile and Baldwin counties shows that he was the overwhelming favorite virtually everywhere except areas with large black majorities. African-Americans are the most loyal bloc of Democratic Party voters.

Byrne, who traveled to Washington Wednesday to set up his office as the newest member of Congress, significantly outperformed Jo Bonner, R-Mobile, in his first race for Congress. Bonner, who left office in August to take a position with the University of Alabama System, won 61 percent of the vote in his first general election in 2002.

That race, though, featured a Democratic opponent who was able build a six-figure war chest. LeFlore’s latest campaign fundraiser report indicated that he had raised just $6,649 during the entire campaign, compared to Byrne’s $1.1 million.

LeFlore said he his final total will probably be about $20,000, but he conceded that his fundraising efforts paled compared to Byrne’s.

“I’m not really so much harping on resources,” he said. “I feel like if I had more money, we would have gotten more votes.”

Byrne spent the day in Washington, meeting the clerk of the House of Representatives and getting keys to his congressional office. Jack Pandol, who will become Byrne’s press secretary, said his boss also is leasing a small efficiency apartment near the Capital. His family will remain living in Baldwin County.

A day after the election, Pandol said Byrne is pleased with the outcome.

“I think the results speak for themselves … very resounding victory,” he said.

In Byrne’s best county, Baldwin, he won all but three small precincts – Tensaw Volunteer Fire Department, Vaughn Community Center and Douglasville Community Center. Everywhere else, he won more than 71 percent of the vote. He also won the absentee vote.

In Mobile County, Byrne won 70 of 98 precincts plus the absentee ballots.

LeFlore’s greatest strength was in the urban precincts of Mobile. He racked up massive margins at those polling places. In his home precinct at the Thomas Sullivan Community Center, for instance, he shut out Byrne 169-0. In all, Byrne received fewer than 10 votes in 14 precincts.

Despite the thumping he took, LeFlore said he still does not believe the 1st District is unwinnable for Democrats. He said he is considering challenging Byrne again next year.

“By no means do I think this is an impossible race to win,” he said.

LeFlore said the key is for the Democratic candidate to reach the large number of lower-income folks who vote Republican despite their best interests. He pointed to health care, where Byrne has vowed to join Republican efforts to repeal President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Hundreds of thousands of people in Alabama do not have health insurance, he noted.

“I happen to be one of them,” said LeFlore, a self-employed Realtor.

In addition to a possible rematch with LeFlore in November, conservative activist Dean Young has mulled the possibility of challenging Byrne in the Republican primary in June after a bitter intraparty contest in last month. But Pandol said Byrne would leave those questions for another day.

“If he does all the right things … June will take care of itself,” he said.